Yair Rodriguez is feeling positive in his capabilities and thinks he could be a UFC champion by the time 2017 comes to an end.
The UFC is certainly in need of new stars, and among the candidates is 24-year-old Mexican maestro Yair Rodriguez. “El Pantera” is 10-1 in MMA, yet it is his most recent victory over UFC hall-of-famer B.J. Penn in January which compelled the featherweight division to pay attention. Should Rodriguez’s sixth-straight win in the UFC become seven when he meets Frankie Edgar in his next bout, the winner of the featherweight unification scrap between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway could potentially hold the key to a title shot (via ESPN.com):
“The UFC is giving me a huge opportunity,” Rodriguez told ESPN.com. “I’m almost sure that if I win this fight, it will get me a title shot. Probably this year.
“I told the UFC that I wanted a top-five opponent, and they gave me the No. 2 guy in the world. This is almost like fighting B.J. Penn again, another legend of the sport. At this point, all my opponents are going to be tough, so I might as well take on the best — the one that will get me the title shot.”
Rodriguez won the first-ever season of the Ultimate Fighter: Latin America. In a country [Mexico] where boxings the national sport, the 24-year-old could represent a brand capable of breaking the monopoly boxing has held over the Mexican pay-per-view market. to the UFC and opening In business terms, UFC executives have the opportunity to cultivate a Mexican fighter with so much potential star power, so elevating him into what may be a title contender’s eliminator fight could make more sense than meets the eye.
Edgar, on the other hand, will be a much tougher nut to crack than B.J Penn. The former lightweight champion and fan-favorite has just signed a new six-fight deal, according to reports, and is not going anywhere (despite losing a title contender eliminator fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 200). Rodrigue is confident of pushing him aside, nonetheless:
“Frankie has never been knocked out before, but he’s never felt kicks like mine,” Rodriguez said. “You can see that in my fight against B.J. Penn. Once I kick Frankie, I will follow his reaction. I’ll see how he handles it and go from there.”
It would be an understatement to call Rodriguez’s bout against Edgar the most crucial of his career, yet the Taekwondo black belt is thinking one step ahead:
“It makes sense to me that the winner between me and Frankie would face the winner of Aldo and Max,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what I’m looking for, of course.
“I can’t pick between those two. I will take whoever it is. They are both tough. You have to prepare yourself for everyone, and I am prepared for anything.”
